Machine for operating upon hides, skins, and leather



May 22, 1934. H. LOESCHER 1,959,589

. MACHINE FOR OPERATING UPON HIDES, SKINS; AND LEATHER Filed Oct. 21, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet '1 Fig.2. 8

May 22, 1934. H. LOESCHER 1,959,589

MACHINE FOR OPERATING UPON HIDES, SKINS, AND LEATHER Filed Oct. 21, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 53 33 37 INVQQLOR y 1934- v H. LOESCHER 59,589

MACHINE FOR OPERATING UPON HIDES, SKINS, AND LEATHER Filed Oct. 21, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 y 1934- H. LOESCHER ,959,589

MACHINE FOR OPERATING UPON HIDES, SKINS, AND LEATHER Filed Oct. 21, 1929 Fig.9

4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Fatented May 22, I934 MACHINE FOR OPERATING UPON HIDE S, SKINS, AND LEATHER Hans Locscher, Harbor-g, Germany, assigno'r to ihe Turner Tanning Machinery Company,

Portland, Maine, a corporation of Maine Application ()ctober 21, 1929, Serial No. 401,155 In Germany November 10, 1928 26 Claims.

This invention relates to machines for operating upon hides, skins, and pieces of leather. While the invention is described with reference to machines for unhairing and scudding hides 5 and skins, it is to understood that the invention and various important features thereof may have other applications and uses.

As heretofore constructed, machines for unhairing and scudding hides and skins have comprised a bladed cylinder or other similar tool arranged to operate upon a piece of Work while the latter is backed by either the convex surface of a bed roll or the concaved surface of a flexible clster or apron. When the hide or skin to be unhaired or scudded is backed by the convex surface of a bed roll, there is a tendency to open the pores of the grain side of the hide or skin while the latter is stretched over the convex sur face, thus making it to some extent easier to. get the hair bulbs and hair residues out of their sockets or follicles. But on a convex surface the blades of the cylinder can act only one at a time on a very narrow strip of the hide or skin at any given instant-in other words, a given portion of the hide or skin does not receive as thorcugh treatment as it does when the hide or skin is partially wrapped around a number of blades of the bladed cylinder by the concave surface of a yielding bolster or apron. On the other hand, the grain surface of a hide or skin, disposed with its flesh surface on a concave backing of short radius, has its pores closed to some extent so that the hair bulbs and hair residues are held more firmly in their follicles 35 or sockets. Thus, in unhairing and scudding machines employing a single tool working against a concave work supporting surface of a short radius, some of the hairs will not be removed with their bulbs as is necessary for the best work. This is especially true of fine hairs with relatively large hair bulbs, many of which are left in place, thus necessitating a second operation on the hide or skin. On the other hand, a

machine with a convex work supporting surface may remove more of the hair bulbs from their follicles than a machine with a concave Work supporting surface but it cannot be depended upon to remove the surface dirt and epithelial cells and all of the hair residues in the hair follicles,

59 so that, in. either case, there must be a scudding operation performed by hand or by machine to Supplement the unhairing in a separate operation.

It is an object of this invention to perform the operations of unhairing and scudding more efliciently and with greater certainty and uniformity than has heretofore been possible.

To these ends, and in accordance with an important feature of the invention, the illustrated machine is provided with means for treating a hide or skin while the latter is supported against the thrust of the treating means by a convex surface and also by a concave surface provided by a flexible member which serves to hold a portion of a hide or skin for intensive action by the work treating means. By work treating means as used herein is meant means for operating mechanically on a piece of work such as a hide or skin or piece of leather to change one or more of its physical characteristics. The expression work treating means does not cover members which merely support or feed the work. In the illustrated arrangement a portion of the hide or skin is acted upon by a work treating means while it is supported by a relatively unyield'ng convex surface, the convex surface and the work treating means co-operating in such manner that the hair bulbs and hair residues are readily pressed from their sockets or follicles since the latter, due to the stretching of the grain portion 0 of the hide or skin over the convex support, have their mouths wide open thus facilitating extraction of their contents. Prior to the operation on the convex surface the work treating means operates upon the same portion of the hide or skin wh Is it is supported by a concave surface, provided by a flexible member, during which time the work treating means may act more certainly to pull the thick mass of hair from the hide or skin due to the greater wrap of the hide or skin about the work treating means, the cooperation of the convex surface being for the purpose of effecting complete removal of the hair bulbs and hair residues partially or wholly expressed from the hide or skin while backed by the concave support. Conveniently, the convex portion of the work supporting means is provided by an apron passing over the convex surface of the same bed roll while a bolster or apron arranged to yield to conform to the shape of the work treating means provides the concave work supporting surface.

As illustrated, work treating instrumentalties are provided in the form of a plurality of bladed cylinders, one for co-operation with the aproncovered convex surface of the work supporting bed roll and the other for operating on the work where it is supported by a concaved portion of the bolster or apron. While the apron may be supported independently of the bed roll, it is conveniently supported by the said roll and a cylindrical member spaced therefrom. Preferably, and as shown, the apron is fastened to the cylindrical member which is arranged to be rotated to move the apron in a direction to feed the hide or spin past the bladed cylinders so that the latter may operate progressively over the surface of the hide or skin. Conveniently also the apron is arranged to be moved by the cylindrical member rotating in the reverse direction so that the hide or skin may be fed into place preliminarily to the operation by the bladed cylinders. In order that a piece of work may be readily introduced into the machine, the illustrated bed roll is supported to rock about the axis of the lower cylindrical member so that both the bed roll and the apron move together between a work receiving position spaced from the bladed cylinders and a work presenting position in which the piece of work in place on the apron is pressed against the bladed cylinders. As illustrated, one bladed cylinder moves away from the apron at the same time that the apron and bed roll move away from the other bladed cylinder, thus providing ample space for throwing the hide into the machine and for manipulating the hide to position it for the beginning of the operation of the bladed cylinders. While the apron may be attached to the lower cylindrical member by any means common- I 1y used for similar purposes, it is preferred to provide a longitudinal slot in the lower member to one edge of which one end of the apron may be fixedly attached and to the other edge of which the other end of the apron may be yieldingly attached, thus providing for yielding of the apron to form a concave work supporting surface when one of the bladed cylinders presses the work thereagainst. As illustrated, the yielding connection between the apron and the slotted member is adjustable so that the tension of the apron may be adjusted to take up any slack as wear on the apron proceeds and to accommodate differences in the classes of work brought to the machine.

These and other features of the invention will now be described in detail in the specification and then pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a cross sectional View, more or less diagrammatic, illustrating one embodiment of the invention wherein the work feeding and treating elements are in open or work receiving position;

Fig. 2 is a View similar to Fig. 1 showing the work fully fed into position to be operated upon;

chine shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. '7 is a section along the line VII-VII of Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is a section along line VIII- VIII of Fig. 5;

Fig. 9 shows a rear view of the right-hand end of the machine shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 10 represents the development of the cam 44 with the path of the cam roll 43;

Fig. 11 is a detailed view of the stopping device for the coupling 89;

Fig. 12 is a detail view of the crank mechanism for moving the feeding bed roll between work receiving and work presenting positions; and

Fig. 13 is a similar view of the mechanism for moving one of the bladed cylinders between operatlve and inoperative positions.

In the illustrated machine, specially designed for scudding and fine-hairing hides and skins, a work supporting and presenting means is provided comprising a shaft 1 having secured thereto a cylindrical member or drum 2 having a cut out portion which receives both ends of a rubber apron 4 which surrounds the drum 2 and a feeding bed roll 3. The feeding bed roll 3 is rotatable with its shaft 5 and can be rocked bodily about the shaft 1. For operating on the work, work treating instrumentalities 6 and 7 are provided which, as shown, are cylinders having helically arranged blades, the cylinders being arranged to rotate in the direction of the arrows in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive. The cylinder 6 is stationary in space while cyl nder 7 may be rocked toward and away from the apron 4. A feed ng roll 8 is provided for cooperating with the aproncovered feeding bed roll 3 in drawing out the work during the scudding and fine-hairing operation. In the work receiving position of Fig. 2, the work p'ece hl is supported by the rubber apron 4, ready for treatment by the machine. Upon starting the machine, the feeding bed roll 3 and the working cylinder '7 are rocked inwardly toward each other, the bed roll 3 and the apron 4 coming to work presenting position with respect to both cylinders 6 and 7, and the drum 2 commences to turn in the direction of the arrow (Fig. 3). At th's movement of the drum, the rubber apron 4 is set into motion and this on its part turns the feeding bed roll 3 in the direction of the arrow. The power driven feeding roll 8 turning in the opposite direction ass'sts in producing the described movement of the apron and bed roll 3. The work piece hl is engaged and operated upon substantially simultaneously by the working cylinders 6 and 7, cylinder 6 engaging a portion of the work bent around the aproncovered convex surface of the bed roll 3, while cyl nder 7 engages a portion of the work backed by a yielding portion of the flexible apron 4, while the work is fed by the feed rolls 3 and 8 and supported by the rubber apron 4. As shown most clearly in Fig. 3 the yielding portion of the flexible apron 4, located between the points of tangency of apron 4 with the cylinders 2 and 3, provides a concave surface for backing the work aga nst the bladed member '7. Clearly there is continuously present a concave work supporting surface in spite of the fact that the apron 4 is moved to feed the work past the bladed member 4. Fig. 4 shows the completion of the operation since the work piece hl has passed both working cylinders 6 and '7. At this moment cylinder '7 and bed roll 3 return to their in'tial positions, the work piece hl is removed, and a second work piece h2 is introduced (Fig. 1). During the introduction of the work the drum 2 is operated to turn in the reverse direct'on and takes along with it apron 4 and bed roll 3 whereby the piece of work n2 is fed in the direction of the arrow until the position work piece hl shown in Fig. 2 has been attained aga'n. Upon tripping a clutch hereinafter described, the operation of the parts are repeated in the same succession as above described.

The cylindrical member or drum 2 (Fig. 7') comprises a cylindrcal surface which is supported by two spiders 9 and 10 which are secured -I support 46.

to the shaft 1, one at each end of the drum. The cylindrical surface of drum 2 is provided with a slot extending the whole length of the drum and parallel to the shaft 1. One of the edges formed by the slot has secured to it a wooden bar 11 to which one end of the rubber apron 4 is fixed, The other edge of the slot has a wooden bar 12 fixed thereon which bears a device for tightening the apron 4. The tightening device comprises several lugs 13, secured on the bar 12, in which a shaft 14, loosely supporting tightening levers 15, is journaled. The ends of these levers 15 are engaged by tension springs 16 secured at their other ends to the interior of the drum. The spring tension is transferred through tension bolts 17 to a clamping device 18 in which the end of the rubber apron is clamped. Through bolts 17 and nuts carried thereby the levers 15 may be adjusted to vary the tension on the bolster or apron 4. For assisting in effectively tightening the apron, guiding rolls 19 are provided which are journaled in the lugs 13 at the deflecting point.

The drum shaft 1 is journaled in standards 20 .l and 21 (Figs. 5 and 6) and is driven by a worm wheel 22, driven in turn by a worm 23 (Fig. 7) on a shaft 24 driven by a pair of bevel gears 25, 26 respectively on shaft 24 and a shaft 27 which is journaled in the standard 21 and in a separate On shaft 27 are loosely mounted pulleys 28 and 29 which are driven respectively by the pulleys 30 and 31 upon the counter shaft 32 through suitable belts. Pulleys 28 and 29 are connected with couplings 33 and 34, respectively,

Iwhich are fixedly secured against rotation on shaft 27 but are slidable thereon. By displacing the double cone 35 to the left or to the right pulley 28 or 29 is connected with shaft 27. As pulley 28 for the forward movement of the shaft 27 is driven by a crossed belt from pulley 30, so pulley 29 for the rearward movement of the shaft is driven by an open belt from pulley 31, and rotation of the shaft 27 is changed according to the direction of the movement of the cone 35, whereas in the neutral position of the cone the shaft 27 stands still. The cone 35 is displaced by a fork 39 fixed on the controlling shaft 36. The shaft 36 is journaled in supports 37 and 38 (Figs. 6 and 8) and has secured to it on its end opposite to the fork 39 a fork 40 (Fig. 9) which is operated by a lever 41, rotatably mounted on a pin 42. On the upright arm of lever 41 a roll 43 is provided which engages cam grooves of a cam drum 44 secured to a crank shaft 45. Further, on the controlling shaft 36, a roll lever 106 with a roll 107 is secured which, when the pulley 34 is rendered operative (and accordingly the drum 2 rotated rearwardly) is rotated by a wing 108 fixed on the drum shaft 1 to the neutral position for terminating the rearward rotative movement of the shaft 1 and drum 2.

A crank shaft 45, (Figs. 6, 7, 8, and 9) which is rotatably mounted in standards 20, 21, and in a separate support 46, is used both for producing the rocking movements of bed roll 3 and cylinder 7 and for initiating the movement of the drum 2 by means of the cam drum 44. Crank links 49 and 50 (Figs. 6 and 7), each of which engages at one end one of the cranks (Fig. 6) of the shaft -45 and at the other end are pivotally connected with rocking arms 48 in which the bed roll 3 is journaled, serve to rock the bed roll between an open work receiving position and a work presenting position with respect to the cylinder 6. The rotation of the crank shaft 45 is converted into a rocking movement of the feeding bed roll 3. The rotation of the drum is transferred to the feeding bed roll 3 by means of a chain from a sprocket wheel 51, (Fig. 5) fixed on the drum shaft 1, to a sprocket wheel 52 which is secured on one trunnion of the shaft 5 of the bed roll 3. The other trunnion of shaft 5 has fixed thereon a gear 53 which meshes with a corresponding gear 54 on the trunnion of the feeding roll 8 when bed roll 3 is rocked into operating position and transfers the rotation of roll 3 to roll 8. The trunnions of the feeding roll 8 are journaled in sliding blocks 55 and 56 (Figs. .5, 6 and 7) which are slidable in the supports 20 and 21, in a direction normal to the axis of the drum, so that the roll 8 is pressed on-the work by the force of springs 59 and 60. By means of spindles 57, 58 the position of feeding roll 8 in height can be changed. Cross heads 63, 64 (Figs. 5 and 7) which are supported by bolts 62 are the abutments for the springs 59 and 60, respectively.

The rocking movement of the working cylinder 7 is produced by eccentrics 65, 66 (Figs. 6 and 7) which are fixed upon the crank shaft 45. Eccentric rings 74, 75 sliding on eccentrics 65 and 66 are connected by rods 72 and 73, respectively with a cross head 71 (Figs. 7 and 9) which is supported by rocking arms 67 and 68, the latter being rocked on trunnions 69 and 70 secured in standards 20 and 21, respectively. Arms 67 and 68 support the trunnions of the working cylinder 7 which is driven by chains from a sprocket wheel 76 (fixed on the counter shaft 32) by means of a double sprocket wheel 77 rotatably mounted on the trunnion 69, the latter being connected to a sprocket wheel 78 secured on the trunnion of cylinder 7. Working cylinder 6 is also driven from the shaft 32 by means of a chain and sprocket wheels 79 and 80 (Figs. 5, 6 and 7).

The rotation of the crank shaft 45 is produced by a Worm gear 81 secured to it, a worm 82 (Fig. 7) on a shaft 83 and bevel gears 84 and 85 (Fig. 6) respectively on shaft 83 and a shaft 86 which is journaled in the standard 21 and in the separate standard 46. On the shaft 86 is loosely mounted a belt pulley 87 which is driven by a pulley 88 (Fig. 9), secured on the counter shaft 32, by means of an open belt. Pulley 87 is connected with a coupling 89 slidably secured to shaft 86, in such a manner that by displacing a cone 90 in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 9, the shaft 86 is connected with the pulley 87. The cone 90 is operated by a forked lever 91, Figs. 8 and 9. This lever issolid with a sleeve 91a which is loosely rotatable on the shaft 36 and is held by collars 92, 93 against sidewise movement. Further the sleeve is provided with a pawl lever 91b which, when the coupling 89 is out of engagement with the pulley 87, engages notches (Fig. 8) of a disk 105 secured to the crank shaft 45. When the coupling is in operative position the pawl lever 91b slides on the edge of disk 105 until it engages the following notch and at the same time moves cone 90 out of engagement with the coupling 89. The fork lever 91 is moved in the direction of the arrow (Fig. 9) for coupling the pulley 87 with the shaft 86 and for lifting the pawl 91b out of the. engaged notch of the disk 105, and thus allowing turning movement of the disc, by depressing a foot lever 9.5, Fig. 9, which is fixed to a foot lever shaft 94. The downward movement of treadle 95 is transferred to the forked lever 91 and to the pawl lever 91b by a lever 96 and connecting link 97, a tension spring 98 engaging lever 96 tending to retain the 98 acting through the connection 96, 9'7 into the forked and pawl levers 91,9111 permanently in inoperative position, and to move and hold the coupling 89 out of engagement with the pulley 8'7 as soon as the disc 105 allows the pawl 91b to drop into one of its notches.

The foot lever shaft 94 journaled in ears of the support 21 has loosely mounted thereon a stopping lever 99 (Fig. 7) which is provided at its upper end with an antifriction roll 100 adapted to roll over and be operated by a controlling cam 104, fixed on the drum spider 10. When the drum 2 rotates, this cam 104 effects, when the drum rotates forwardly, a movement of the stopping lever 99 to operate the shaft 94 and connections to the lever 91 thus coupling pulley 87 to shaft 45 to effect movement of the bed roll 3 and cylinder 7 to their open or work receiving positions. This rotation of shaft 45 moves cam 44 to cause operation of lever 41 and movement of shaft 36 to its median or neutral position whereby pulley 28 is unclutched and thereby rotation of the drum terminated. The first-mentioned turning movement is transferred from lever 99 to the shaft 94 of the foot lever by a lug of an arm 101 fixed on shaft 94 whereas movement of lever 99 in the reverse direction has no influence on shaft 94. A spring 103 engaging a lower projecting'portion of lever 99 (Figs. 5 and '7) tends to hold the stopping 1ever 99 against the lug of the arm 101 at all times. As shown, lever 99 is held by a collar 102 (Fig. 7) against the hub of arm 101.

The operation of the machine is the following: In the initial position shown in Fig. 1, the cam roll 43 (Figs. 9 and 10) on lever41 has the position III in Fig. 10 and the pawl lever 912) (Fig. 11) engages the notch III in the disc 105. At this time the bed roll 3 is in the position III (Fig. 12) and the cutting cylinder 7 (Fig. 13) is in inoperative position also. In this position of the co-operating elements, a hide is placed on the rubber apron 4 and the foot lever 95 is then depressed. Upon depression of the foot lever, the pulley 8'7 (Fig. 9) is connected with shaft 86 by means of connected elements comprising lever 95, connecting link 97, forked lever 91 andcone 90. At the same time, the pawl lever 91?) is lifted from the notch III of the disk 105 and the upper end of the lever rides on the face of the disk 105 until the next notch I is reached. Through connections with the shaft 86, the crank shaft '45 is set into move ment and the cam disk 44 fixed to shaft 45 dis- Thereby the drum 2 is set into movement in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. l and a hide or skin is fed into the machine. -The rotation of the crank shaft 45 is terminated by the pawl lever 91b dropping, under the influence of the spring next notch I, whereby the coupling 89 is disengaged from the pulley 87. At that time the positions I indicated in Figs. 10 to13, inclusive, are reached. It should be mentioned that, by the turning movement of the crank shaft45 and the eccentrics thereon from pcsition. III into I, the new positions of feeding bed roll 3 and cylinder '7 a re nearly the same as before, since positions I and III, respectively, are slightly above and below the dead point of the crank adjacent to the drum. The termination of the turning movement of the crank shaft 45 has no influence on the movement of the drum, because, as already mentioned, the fork lever 91 initiating the crank shaft movement is loosely mounted on the controlling shaft 36. The movement of the drum is terminated only when the wing 108 (Figs. 5, 6 and 8), turning with the drum shaft 1, returns the controlling shaft 36 into median position by means of the cam roll lever 106, and disengages the coupling 34 from the pulley 29. At the same time the movement of the rubber apron 4 and of the hide placed thereon ceases. By repeating the depression of the foot lever 95 the pulley 87 is coupled again and the crank shaft 45 is moved until the positions II (Figs. 10 to 13) are reached and bed roll 3 and cylinder '7 are swung into operating positions (positions shown with dotted lines in Figs. 12 and 13). During the movement of the crank shaft 45 from I into II, the cam roll 43 (Fig. 10) is moved by cam a into such position that, by the parts 41, 40, 36, 39 and 35, the pulley 28 (Figs. 5 and 6) is coupled with shaft 27. Thereupon the drum rotates in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 3. The cylinders 6 and 7 engage the hide or skin; feeding roll 8 is turned by gears 53 and 54 along with the feeding bed roll 3 and accordingly the hide or skin is operated upon progressively while it is being fed out of the machine. The rotation of the drum is automatically terminated by the fact that the controlling cam 104 moves the foot lever shaft 94 by means of the stopping lever 99 in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 5, whereby pulley 87 is again coupled and the crank shaft 45 rotated from posi-- tion II into position III. During the last-mentioned operation of shaft 45, the bed roll 3 and cylinder '7 return to their initial positions. At the same time the cam roll 43 is returned by the cam 110 b (Fig. 10) into its median position; the controlling shaft 36 gets again its median or neutral position; and coupling 33 (Figs. 5 and 6) is disengaged from the pulley 28 and the drum comes to rest accordingly.

Briefly stated, the machine operates as follows: With the work feeding and treating rolls in the position shown in Fig. 1, a piece of work such as a hide 712 is introduced by throwing it over the apron 4 above the bed roll 3, the operator at the same time depressing the treadle 95. As a result of the depression of the treadle the apron 44is caused to travel in the direction of the arrows in Fig. 1 to feed the work into place for beginning work treating operations. When the piece of work has reached the position of the work piece k1 shown in Fig. 2, the drum 2, bed roll 3 and apron 4 come to rest through an automatic shifting of the clutch. If the work is properly arranged the operator may immediately depress the treadle a second time, otherwise he may make such adjustments of the work as may be necessary before depressing the treadle. Upon depressing the treadle 95 l the second time, the bed roll 3 and apron 4 move to the work presenting position shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the bladed cylinder 7 likewise moving to work treating position and operation of the work feedingand work treating means begins simultaneously with the arrival of the work 3140 in work treating position. Fig. 3 shows the piece of work at the beginning of operations of the cylinders thereon while Fig. 4 shows the completion of the operation since in this figure the work has passed both of the bladed cylinders 6 and '7. When the work reaches this position, the machine opens automatically and the work is discharged through the action of gravity or removed by the operator, the machine being 150 then in position shown in Fig. 1 ready for introduction of a fresh piece of work.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a machine for operating upon hides, skins and leather, work treating means, means comprising a flexible member for presenting a piece of work to the work treating means, and means arranged to feed the work past the work treating means, said feeding means comprising a feed roll arranged directly to engage the work to press it against the work presenting means, said flexible member having a relatively yielding portion with a surface for supporting the work directly against the thrust of the work treating means and said work presenting means having a relatively unyielding portion constructed and arranged to be operative simultaneously with the relatively yielding portion of the flexible member for backing another portion of the same piece of work against the thrust of the work treating means, said work presenting means being movable away from the work treating means to work receiving position and subsequently toward the work treating means to cooperate therewith in operations on the work.

2. In a machine for operating upon hides, skins, and leather, work treating means, means comprising a flexible member for supporting a piece of work for the operation of the work treating means, and means arranged to feed the work past the work treating means, said work supporting means comprising a convex surface for backing the work against the thrust of the work treating means and said flexible member having a portion constructed to present a concave surface during operation of the work treating means and spaced from the convex surface on the same side of the work for supporting the work against the thrust of the work treating means, said last-mentioned means being constructed and arranged to operate simultaneously upon different portions of the same side of the same piece of work while the latter is supported by said convex and concave surfaces.

3. In a machine for operating upon hides, skins and leather, work treating means, means comprising a flexible member for supporting a piece of work for the operation of the work treating means, and means to feed the work past the work treating means, said work supporting means comprising a relatively unyielding convex surface and said flexible member having a relatively yielding portion constructed and arranged to present a concave surface during operation of the work treating means, and both surfaces located on the same side of the work and serving simultaneously to support successive portions of the work against the ihrust of the work treating means.

i. In a machine for operating upon hides, skins and leather, a plurality of work treating instrumentalities, means for presenting a piece of work to the work treating instrumentalities, said work presenting means comprising an apron having a relatively yielding portion for supporting the work against the thrust of one of the instrumentalities and a bed roll providing a relatively unyielding portion for backing the work against the thrust of another work treating instrumentality while both of the instrumentalities are in work treating position, the work presenting means comprising said apron being movable to open position and arranged while in open position to receive and support a piece of work and subsequently movable to present the work to the work treating means.

5. In a machine for operating upon hides, skins, and leather, a plurality of work treating instrumentalities, a relatively firmly supported member for backing the work against the thrust of one of the work treating instrumentalities, a relatively flexible member for yieldingly supporting the work against the thrust of another work treating instrumentality while both of the instrumentalities are in work treating position, and means to move the two work backing and supporting members together between work receiving and work presenting positions with respect to said work treating instrumentalities. 1

6. In a machine for operating upon hides, skins and leather, a plurality of work treating instrumentalities, means arranged to present a piece of work simultaneously to the work treating instrumentalities comprising a bed roll serving to back the work against the thrust of one of the work treating instrumentalities and an apron for yieldingly backing the work against the thrust of another work treating instrumentalitmend means to move the bed roll and apron between work receiving and work presenting positions with respect to said instrumentalities.

7. In a machine for operating upon hides, skins and leather, a plurality of work treating instrumentalities, means to cause operation of said instrumentalities at the same time, and means arranged to present a piece of work to the work treating instrumentalities comprising a bed roll, an apron passing around the bed roll, and a cylindrical member for keeping the apron extended beyond the bed roll, an apron covered surface of the bed roll being arranged to support the work against the thrust of one of the work treating instrumentalities, and the apron being arranged yieldingly to back the work against the thrust of another work treating instrumentality, said bed roll and apron being mounted for movement toward and from said work treating instrumentalities alternately to receive and to present the work for treatment.

8. In a machine for operating upon hides, skins and leather, a plurality of work treating instrumentalities, means to cause operation of said instrumen alities, means arranged to present a piece of work simultaneously to the work treating instrumentalities comprising a bed roll, an apron passing around the bed roll, means for keeping the apron extended beyond the bed roll, means for moving the apron and bed roll to feed the work past the work treating instrumentalities during operation of the latter, an apron covered portion of the bed roll serving to back the work against the thrust of one of the work treating instrumentalities while a portion of the apron serves yieldingly to back the work against the thrust of another work treating instrumentality, said bed roll and apron being mounted for movement toward and from said work treating instrumentalities alternately to receive and to present the work for treatment, and means to drive the apron and bed roll while in spaced relation to the work treating instrumentalities to feed the work into position for treatment.

9. In a machine for operating upon hides, skins and leather, a work treating instrumentality,

means for presenting a piece of work to the work treating instrumentality comprising a bed roll, an apron passing around the bed roll, an oscillatory member to which the apron is secured, and

means for operating the oscillatory member alterlot) nately in opposite directions to wind the apron while the latter is stationary in space on one portion of the oscillatory member and off another portion thereof and in the reverse direction, whereby the apron is caused to feed the piece of work into the machine and then in the reverse direction past the work treating instrumentality and toward the operator at the front of the machine.

10. In a machine for operating upon hides, skins and leather, a work treating instrumentality, means for presenting a piece of work to the work treating instrumentality comprising a bed roll and an apron, a cylindrical member to which the apron is secured, means for rocking the cylindrical member to cause the apron to move in reverse directions, in one direction tofeed the work into the machine, and in the other direction to feed the work out of the machine and past the work treating instrumentality, and means for causing operation of the work treating instrumentality on the work while the latter is being fed out of the machine.

11. In machines for operating upon hides, skins and leather, a plurality of bladed cylinders, means arranged to present a piece of work to the bladed cylinders while both are in work treating position, said means having a relatively yielding concaved portion for backing a piece of work against thrust of one of the bladed cylinders and also a relatively unyielding convex portion to back the work against the thrust of another bladed cylinder, and means for feeding the work past the bladed cylinders comprising an apron arranged to move with the work past the site of both the convex and concave portions of the work backing means.

12. In machines for operating upon hides, skins and leather, a plurality of bladed cylinders, means to cause operation of the cylinders at the same time, and means arranged to present a piece of work for the operation of the bladed cylinders comprising a bed roll, an apron yieldingly mounted and arranged to pass around the bed roll, means co-operating with the apron and bed roll for feeding the piece of work past the bladed cylinders during operation of the latter, an apron covered convex portion of the bed roll serving to back the piece of work against the thrust of one of the cylinders while a portion of the apron yields to form a concave surface which serves to back the work against the thrust of another bladed cylinder,

13. In machines for operating upon hides, skins and leather, a plurality of bladed cylinders, a bed roll, an apron passing around the bed roll, a member for keeping the apron extended beyond the bed roll, means for moving the apron and bed roll to carry a piece of work past the bladed cylin- 1 ders and to present the work simultaneously to the cylinders, an apron-covered portion of the bed roll serving to back the piece of work against the thrust of one of the bladed cylinders, and a portion of the apron being arranged yieldingly to back the work against the thrust of another bladed cylinder, and means for moving the bed roll and apron between a work receiving position and a work presenting position with respect to the bladed cylinders.

14. In machines for operating upon hides, skins and leather, a plurality of bladed cylinders arranged to operate simultaneously on a piece of work, a bed roll, an apron passing around the bed roll, a cylindrical member for holding the apron extended beyond the bed roll, a feed roll for co-operating with the apron-covered bed roll to feed the work, means for mounting the bed roll to swing about the axis of the cylindrical member toward and from the bladed cylinders, and means for moving the apron to feed the piece of work past the bladed cylinders during their operation on the work.

15. In machines for operating upon hides, skins and leather, a plurality of bladed cylinders, a bed roll, an apron passing around the bed roll, a cylindrical member for holding the apron extended beyond the bed roll and to which the apron is secured, a feed roll for co-operating with the apron-covered bed roll to feed the work, means for mounting the bed roll to swing about an axis outside of the bed roll toward and from the bladed cylinders, means for moving the cylindrical member to cause the apron to feed the piece of work pastthe bladed cylinders during their operation on the work, and means for moving the apron in a direction the reverse of its abovementioned feeding direction while the bed roll is spaced from the bladed cylinders to feed the piece of work into position for the operation of the bladed cylinders.

16. In machines for operating upon hides, skins and leather, a plurality of bladed cylinders, a bed roll, an apron passing around the bed roll, a cylindrical member for holding the apron extended beyond the bed roll and to which the apron is secured, a feed roll for co-operating with the apron-covered bed roll to feed the work, means for mounting the bed roll to swing about the axis of the cylindrical member toward and from the bladed cylinders, means for moving the apron to feed the piece of work past the bladed cylinders during their operation on the work, and means for moving the apron in a direction the reverse of its above-mentioned feeding direction while the bed roll is spaced from the bladed cylinders to feed the piece of work into position for the operation of the bladed cylinders.

17. In a machine for operating upon hides, skins and pieces of leather, a plurality of bladed cylinders, means arranged to drive the cylinders at the same time, and means for presenting a piece of work to the bladed cylinders for simultaneous operation of the cylinders on the work, said means comprising an apron having a portion arranged to serve as the sole backing for the work against the thrust' of one of the cylinders, and a member for backing the apron where it supports the piece of work against the thrust of another bladed cylinder.

18. In machines for operating upon hides, skins and leather, a plurality of bladed cylinders, a bed roll, an apron passing around the bed roll, a cylindrical member for holding the apron extended beyond the bed roll and to which the apron is secured, a feed roll for co-operating with the apron-covered bed roll to feed the work, means for mounting the bed roll and apron to swing about an axis outside of the bed roll toward and from the bladed cylinders, and means arranged to move one of the bladed cylinders bodily toward and from theapron in timed relation to the swinging movement of the apron and bed roll.

19. In a machine for operating upon hides, skins and pieces of leather, means for treating the work, an apron for supporting the work during the operation of the work treating means, a pair of cylindrical members about which the apron passes to keep the apron in extended condition, said work treating means comprising a member located to operate on the work where it is backed by a portion of the apron extending between the cylindrical members, and one of the cylindrical members having a slot extending parallel with its axis, means for securing one end of the apron to one edge of the slot in the cylindrical member, and means for yieldingly connecting the other end of the apron to the other edge of the slot to provide for yielding of the apron with respect to the work treating means.

20. In a machine for operating upon hides, skins and pieces of leather, means for treating the work, an apron for supporting the work during the operation of the work treating means, a pair of cylindrical members about which the apron passes to keep the apron in extended condition, said work treating means comprising a member located to operate on the Work where it is backed by a portion of "he apron extending between the cylindrical members, and one of the cylindrical members having a slot extending parallel with its axis, means for securing one end of the apron to one edge of the slot in the cylindrical member, and means for yieldingly connecting the other end of the apron to the other edge of the slot to provide for yielding of the apron with respect to the work treating means, said connecting means being adjustable to provide for varying the tension of the apron.

21. In a machine for operating upon hides, skins and pieces of leather, means for treating the work, an apron for supporting the work against the thrust of the work treating means, a pair of cylindrical members about which the apron passes to keep the apron in extended condition, said apron being connected to one of the cylindrical members, means to move the cylindrical members and the apron carried thereby alternately to work receiving and to work presenting positions with respect to the work treating means, means for rotating the last-mention d cylindrical member in a direction to cause the apron to feed a piece of work past the work treating means during the operation of the latter, and means for rotating the same cylindrical member in a direction to cause the apron to feed a piece of work into position preliminarily to operation of the Work treating means, the last-mentioned rotating means being arranged to operate while the cylindrical members and apron are stationary in space and in work receiving position.

22. In a machine for operating upon hides, skins and pieces of leather, means for treating the work, an apron for supporting the work against the thrust of the work treating means, a pair of cylindrical members about which the apron passes to keep the apron in extended condition, means for rotating one of the cylindrical members in a direction to cause the apron to travel to feed the piece of work supported thereon in a direction past the work treating means and out of the machine, one of the cylindrical members being movable bodily about the center of the other cylindrical member to cause the apron to move between a work receiving position and a work presenting position with respect to the work treating means, and means to rotate the cylindrical members, while the apron is stationary in space and in work receiving position, to cause the apron to feed a piece of work into the machine.

23. In a machine for operating upon hides, skins and pieces of leather, means for treating the work, an apron for supporting the Work against the thrust of the work treating means, a pair of cylindrical members about which the apron passes to keep the apron in extended condition, means stationary in space and arranged for cooperation with the apron to feed the work past the Work treating means, and means for oscillating both of the cylindrical members about the axis of one of them to carry the apron between work receiving position and a work presenting position with respect to the feeding means and the work treating means.

24. In a machine for operating upon hides, skins, and pieces of leather, a plurality of bladed cylinders, means arranged to drive the bladed cylinders at the same time, a feed roll stationary with respect to one of the bladed cylinders, a bed roll, a cylindrical member spaced with respect to the bed roll, an apron passing around the bed roll and the cylindrical member, means for causing the apron and the feed roll to move to feed the work simultaneously to and past the bladed members, and means for moving the bed roll and apron between work receiving and work presenting positions with respect to the stationary feed roll and the bladed cylinders.

25. In a machine for operating upon hides, skins and pieces of leather, a plurality of bladed cylinders, a feed roll, a bed roll, a cylindrical member spaced with respect to the bed roll, an apron passing around the bed roll and the cylindrical member, means for causing the apron and feed roll to feed the work simultaneously to and past the bladed cylinders, means for moving the bed roll and the apron toward the bladed cylinders to present the work for the operation of the cylinders, a manually operable member for controlling the last-mentioned means, and means arranged to operate automatically for moving the bed roll and apron away from the bladed cylinders into work receiving position.

26. In a machine for operating upon hides, skins and pieces of leather, a plurality of bladed cylinders, a feed roll, a bed roll, a cylindrical member spaced with respect to the bed roll, an apron passing around the bed roll and the cylindrical member, means arranged to cause the apron and feed roll to present the work to and feed it past the bladed cylinders, means for moving the bed roll and apron toward the bladed cylinders, and means for moving the bed roll and apron away from the cylinders and symultaneously therewith moving one of the cylinders away from the apron to afiord space for the ready introduction of the work between the apron and the bladed cylinders.

HANS LOESCHER. 

